The following evening Flare tried to stay up well after Crow, but he kept talking well into the night- or bothering her with affection. Privately, she thought it was nice at times- but it felt wrong and unearned. Shadow deserves to be next to me, over any dog. And I am the one who should get to choose which dog is my mate or friend- or neither. The canine didn't truly know whether she wanted a mate or not. And she was even more uncertain it being Shadow or Crow.

"What do you like?" Crow spoke up again as he nibbled behind her ear for the dozenth time. So annoying. Ugh.

He seemed infatuated with the idea of having someone who geuinely liked him, and even more so that he was able to exchange affection with another dog.

It'd be adorable if only he wasn't so gruesome and cruel just yesterday. He's horrible to Shadow, and forces me to do this.

She kept her eyes on her paws as she answered, and had to stop herself from shivering at Crow's muzzle being so near her face.

"Lots of things. I like the warm weather more than the cold and wet- I like the way the sun shines when it's not covered by clouds... Other dogs, and that female human who brings us scraps," she mumbled.

I still don't fully trust him, even though I want to... The tan dog couldn't shake off the feeling of being manipulated. Her thoughts kept switching from hatred to pity to yearning for a connection. When did other dogs become so important to me? But even more so...

I can't deny that I want to be loved. Who doesn't? But I want Shadow! Her heart began racing as she panicked a bit. Crow's sleek black head slid over her back as he rested his head on her flank. Crow put a paw over Flare's haunch in a protective gesture.

Right?

Deeply unsettled, she allowed herself to be cuddled. The black long-coated German Shepherd was immensely soft and warm. His long nose was stark against her yellow-cream fur.

"What other dogs do you like?" Crow commented, seemingly nonchalant.

"Well- like may be a strong word. But Jax is alright. He only talks too much because he needs a true friend or role model. White Dog is very alone, and I don't think he prefers it that way; or the way his life's been." She took a breath.

"Grey Dog's lost his mate and puppies. No dog knows where Mocha went. We all don't deserve to be here. I don't want to be here." Flare's voice had grown stronger on the end. She was feeling trapped, and was very close to standing up and pushing Crow off of her.

But the male dog didn't say anything. He simply thought for such a long time that Flare quit expecting and answer.

"Where else is there to go?"

"Somewhere without people, if it exists. I don't know of any food sources besides kibble or trash bins, but..." She trailed off, realizing how daft the entire thing sounded.

"I don't know," Flare sighed in defeat.

Crow didn't comment. As the crickets sang on throughout the night, though- he did say one more thing.

"Thank you for trying to love me, Flare."

Now, it was her turn to be quiet. Flare gulped and kept her gaze well away from his so they didn't meet eyes. Pity wrenched her heart sideways.

Oh, Crow- under different circumstances, perhaps...

The male dog soon fell asleep, his head resting more heavily on her flank. As the silence spanned out, Flare could feel some dog's watching eyes her.

Shadow's.

Seeing the shape of his tail first, then his shoulders and head shifting as he walked, Flare tensed up. She glanced alarmingly towards Crow, who she couldn't move without waking up. The Yard was shrouded in shadow.

Though it was extremely difficult, Flare kept herself still as her friend approached. When he was within whispering range he dropped down onto his belly and crawled closer.

In good fortune, the dog's body dragging along the grass didn't cause more noise than the crickets or traffic beyond the Yard did. Crow didn't wake up, but his nose twitched once in his sleep. The shepherd's lip flapped open a little as he slid a ways down Flare's back.

When she peered back at Shadow, she had expected to see him sort of happy about their chance to speak- but instead he was glaring at her pointedly, angling his ears at the black male dog.

"Why is he laying like that?" Shadow whispered fiercely. "And why were you playing with him earlier, Flare?" Looking bewildered, Shadow's mouth stretched into a frown.

Without letting Flare reply, Shadow barked again, louder than before.

"And I saw him licking and nibbling you," the young male's voice was tinged with a growl. Flare's muzzle crinkled, and she cringed at being spoken to in such a way.

"He's been treating you like- that all day!" Flare's heart dropped like a stone in her chest as she listened. Her throat felt constricted as she thought up a reply that wouldn't contradict Shadow or Crow.

"He wants me to be his mate, so-"

"Well no mind that," Shadow growled, almost impatiently. Then he seemed to catch himself, and dipped his head respectfully.

"I'm sorry, I am just deeply upset. Other than allowing it, why did you play with him?" Shadow shook his ears and shut his eyes. He looked a bit mentally ill at the moment.

"You fell asleep as he groomed you. Why did you seem to enjoy it," he plaintively stated at the end.

Flare knew she'd have to carefully explain herself, but she could hardly grasp a hold on the situation either. The female dog was fed up and exasperated with all the drama.

I'm not a pawn to either of these dogs. At least she knew that for sure. Neither male held any real hold over her- besides fake control via some stupid title.

With a glance back at the fluffy male to confirm he was still asleep, she stretched her neck out to Shadow. He returned the nose touch eagerly, his tail thumping so fast that Flare had to retreat.

"Truthfully- It was fun playing with him at first. But not after I saw you upset. And..." The next part was so difficult to say that she couldn't meet Shadow's eyes, and took several heartbeats to force it out.

"I don't like the negative part of his personality. But he's, like-...

Well, he really wants to be loved. And he's kinder and considerate with me. I liked how he treated me like something precious."

"I've been wanting to do that, Flare. And I gave you a choice!" Shadow barked with exasperation. He looked crushed, his ears pinned back and his mouth agape in pained shock.

"You didn't let me finish. But-" she carried on, "I also hate how I was forced into it."

Shadow was already growling, though. The brown coon-dog had his deep brown eyes set upon Crow's hulking figure, slumped over her side like a giant pup. The German Shepherd's breathing deepened as he fell into a deeper slumber, and his nostrils exhaled tiny snores.

"He's manipulating you, Flare. I'm so sick of this- but everytime I fight him he just beats me," snarled the hound in frustration.

"Shh," Flare urged. They couldn't risk Crow waking up and spoiling their only moments together. Shadow licked her cheek as if to reassure her, then stilled quite closely to her.

"I've missed you, Flare. I don't know when, but we'll both escape over the fence one of these nights. We can escape together. I know of a park close by that we could go to. It's where I slept and got trash from food bins."

Relieved that Shadow and her's relationship was fine, whatever it currently was; Flare felt curious enough to pry. "What was it like outside of the Yard?"

Shadow settled down, stretching his paws out to Flare's. In the weak moonlight they were a muddy gray-brown. Stifling a growl as he glanced at Crow, the young male licked his lips before speaking.

"Well, it was early morning when I had darted off after his barking. I ran far and fast, and almost got caught underneath some moving rolling-dens. That's where I got lost- passing through yard after yard and street after street, looking for somewhere to hide temporarily.

Then I came across a line of bushes beside a ditch, next to a relatively wide expanse of flat grass. There was children all over the flat grass- the young of Man," he chatted on. "But I stayed asleep in the bush until late night. There's long sticks that leave pools of light all around... Well, everywhere. After digging out scraps from the metal cans, I knew I had to find you." He glanced at her fondly, but Flare kept her muzzle closed. She was more aware than ever of Crow's body resting heavily against her.

"I stayed away from the light-poles and rolling-den paths as I traveled back towards our Yard, trying not to be seen. It wasn't easy. Rolling dens as well as other creatures shattered my nerves along the way. There's poles rising up from the ground, curbs and buildings on every block- cement under-paw nearly everywhere I went. And some cats I came across were doing the same thing I did; finding food inside the bins by reaching inside them." Flare's head whirled.

"But I traveled near a loose dog, who I'd scented out and asked for some direction- and he knew of a yard with a pack of dogs. He took me there, but it wasn't our Yard. I'd went out of the way for some strangers trapped in a fence." Concerned, Flare wondered how Shadow could've ever found his way back. But as he continued to explain the places he'd went and how he'd found food, the she-dog listened patiently.

"Finally, around the hottest heat of the day after, I found a Yard that I had raced across while fleeing from the fence. It isn't too dangerous during the daytime as long as you keep away from humans and their rolling-dens or yards. Anyways-After that, it was just a matter of searching the area. When I'd came close enough to The Yard, it was around the time for The Man to get home..." Shadow tipped his head thoughtfully, looking over at Flare in the darkness. His split-in-half ear flapped as he moved, but it was long since healed and caused him no pain.

"So I slept behind a shed not too far from here, until late at night. Before I came to talk to you, I got more food out of trash bins, but it wasn't much. Rolling-dens kept scaring me off, because a lot of the bins are next to their stone pathways."

Wow. Shadow risked a lot to come back for me... Even after I told him I didn't feel the same. She could hardly forget the turmoil painted on his face, after she'd let him down all that time ago. He came back to help me escape- whether friends or more than that. He's a very loyal dog.

Flare gazed at him, forgetting to say something. Shadow returned the gesture with a soft tail wag, his ears flicking forward in content.

"Do you like me more than him?" Asked the brown coon-dog after awhile of silence. He hesitated, then stretched his neck out for comfort.

"Yes," Flare responded instantly. But I still like both of you in different ways. Flare gave her friend the tiniest lick on the jaw. He reciprocated with a happy open-mouthed grin. Without hesitating this time, Shadow softly nuzzled Flare's muzzle.

"I still don't know exactly how you feel about me," he murmured as the night carried on. "But I will soon, right?"

Flare gave a small nod of reply. She didn't want to think about that now. All of the in-depth relationship problems were constant. How nice it would be to have just one day to myself.

Flare lifted her head and sniffed at the breeze. It brought with it the usual scents of the yard- the other dogs, dirt and grass, their own urine and feces- but something else.

Catiouslly, Flare's nose twitched. She could detect a metallic, flowery-sweet scent filled with hormones.

"Shadow," Flare whispered direly.

"I have the heat-scent again."

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Shadow

Flare &Shadow artwork. Dog anatomy isn't my best feat as you can see but I tried lol